The following tables list products that are compatible for use with this version of Configuration Manager 2007. No extension of support for these products beyond their current product lifecycles is implied. Products that are beyond their current support lifecycle are not supported for use with Configuration Manager 2007. For more information about Microsoft Support Lifecycles, visit the Microsoft Support Lifecycle Web site at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=208270.

Note

The following information applies only to Configuration Manager 2007 SP2.

Supported Upgrade Paths

Configuration Manager 2007 SP2 is available in the following forms:

As an evaluation release, which expires 180 days after installation.

As a service pack release, to be applied to an existing Configuration Manager 2007 or Configuration Manager 2007 SP1 site installation.

As a complete release, to perform a new or upgrade installation of Configuration Manager 2007 SP2.

Microsoft provides support for the current service pack and, in some cases, the immediately preceding service pack. For additional information about Microsoft support lifecycle policy, visit the Microsoft Support Lifecycle Support Policy FAQ Web site at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=31976.

2 Clients are supported on the Server Core installations and full installations of Windows Server 2008. However, desired configuration management and out of band management are supported only on full installations of Windows Server 2008. Desired configuration management is supported on Server Core installations of Windows Server 2008 R2 if the Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 is included.

3 Configuration Manager 2007 SP2 support for x64 and Itanium-based systems is through 32-bit code running on 64-bit operating systems.

5 These operating systems are supported for installing the Configuration Manager 2007 SP2 client. To add optional support for these operating systems to the supported platform list, see KB2750782 in the Microsoft Knowledge Base.

6 These operating systems are supported for installing the Configuration Manager 2007 SP2 client. To add optional support for these operating systems to the supported platform list, see KB 2861663 in the Microsoft Knowledge Base. These operating systems are not supported for operating system deployment with Configuration Manager 2007.

Windows CE 6.0 is supported in Configuration Manager 2007 SP2 only after installing Hotfix 977384 on the site server computer. For information about this issue and to download this hotfix, see Article 977384 in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=180992).

Some Configuration Manager 2007 client features, such as operating system deployment, are not supported for the mobile device client. For more information about managing devices with Configuration Manager, see Overview of Mobile Device Management.

Site System Operating System Requirements

The following sections list the site system operating system requirements for Configuration Manager 2007 core and feature-specific site system role installations. For information about the minimum hardware requirements for Configuration Manager 2007 site systems, see Configuration Manager Supported Configurations.

Note

Microsoft provides support for the current service pack and, in some cases, the immediately preceding service pack. For additional information about the Microsoft support lifecycle policy, visit the Microsoft Support Lifecycle Support Policy FAQ Web site at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=31976.

Core Site System Requirements

The following table lists the site system operating system requirements for Configuration Manager 2007 SP2 core site system role installation.

2To use graphs in reports, Office Web Components (Microsoft Office 2000 with SP2, Microsoft Office XP, or Microsoft Office 2003) must be installed. However, Office Web Components is not supported on 64-bit operating systems. If you want to use graphs in reports, use 32-bit operating systems for your reporting points.

3Out of band service points are not supported on computers that are running Windows Server 2003 with SP1. Out of band service points running Windows Server 2003 with SP2 require KB 942841. For more information about KB 942841, go to http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=155114.

Unsupported Operating Systems

Unless explicitly specified, the list of unsupported operating system platforms has not changed for Configuration Manager 2007 SP2 from those listed in Configuration Manager Supported Configurations. However, additional operating systems can be past the service pack support dates.

Active Directory Schema Extensions

Configuration Manager 2007 SP2 does not introduce changes to Active Directory schema extension requirements, and it is not necessary to re-extend the Active Directory schema for Configuration Manager 2007 SP2 if it has already been extended for Configuration Manager 2007.

SQL Server Site Database Configurations

When installing Configuration Manager 2007 SP2, the site database can be installed on either the default instance or a named instance of a supported Microsoft SQL Server version installation. The instance that is used to host the site database can also be configured as an instance of the SQL Server failover cluster in an active/passive cluster, or multiple instance, configuration.

The following table describes the versions of SQL Server supported to host the Configuration Manager 2007 SP2 site database.

SQL Server Version

Edition

Service Pack

System Architecture

SQL Server 2005

Standard Edition or Enterprise Edition

SP2, SP3, or SP4

x86 or x64

SQL Server 2008

Standard or Enterprise

No service pack, SP1, SP2, SP3, or SP4

x86 or x64

SQL Server 2008 R2

Standard or Enterprise

No service pack, SP1, SP2, or SP3

x86 or x64

SQL Server 20121

Standard or Enterprise

No service pack, or SP1

x86 or x64

1 To use SQL Server 2012 to host the site database, you must install the following updates as described in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Additionally, to use SQL Server 2012 for the site database, you must upgrade the instance of SQL Server in use at a site from SQL Server 2008 or SQL Server 2008 R2 to SQL Server 2012. It is not supported to install a new Configuration Manager 2007 SP2 site with SQL Server 2012. It is also not supported to install Configuration Manager 2007 R3 when SQL Server 2012 is in already in use for the site database.

Note

Installing the site database on Itanium 64-bit platforms is not supported.

Out of Band Management

Out of band management in Configuration Manager 2007 SP2 is supported for computers that have the Intel vPro chip set and Intel Active Management Technology (Intel AMT) for the following firmware versions:

Intel AMT version 3.2 with a minimum revision of 3.2.1

Intel AMT version 4.0, version 4.1, and version 4.2

Intel AMT version 5.0, and version 5.2 with a minimum revision of 5.2.10

In-band provisioning is not supported on AMT-based computers that are running any version of Windows Server, Windows 2000, Windows XP with SP2, or Windows XP Tablet PC Edition.

The out of band management console is not supported on workstations running Windows XP on versions earlier than Service Pack 3, and on servers running Windows Server 2003 on versions earlier than Service Pack 2.

Out of band communication is not supported to an AMT-based computer that is running the Routing and Remote Access service in the client operating system. This service runs when Internet Connection Sharing is enabled, and the service might be enabled by line-of-business (LOB) applications.

BranchCache Feature Support

The BranchCache feature in Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows 8, and Windows Server 2012, is supported for Configuration Manager 2007 SP2 sites when BranchCache is configured for the distributed cache mode only. When all the requirements for BranchCache are met, this feature enables clients at remote locations to obtain content from local clients that have a current cache of the content.

For example, when the first BranchCache-enabled client computer requests content from a distribution point that is running Windows Server 2008 R2 and that has also been configured as a BranchCache server, the client computer will download the content and cache it. This content is then made available for clients on the same subnet that request this same content, and these clients also cache the content. In this way, subsequent clients on the same subnet do not have to download content from the distribution point, and the content is distributed across multiple clients for future transfers.

Configuration Manager 2007 SP2 supports BranchCache with Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7 clients that are configured in BranchCache distributed cache mode. Support is extended to clients running Windows Vista SP1 and later, Windows Server 2008 SP1, and Windows Server 2008 SP2 by using the BITS 4.0 release. However, on these operating systems the BranchCache client functionality is not supported for software distribution that is run from the network or for SMB file transfers. The BITS 4.0 release can be installed on Configuration Manager clients by using software updates or software distribution. For more information about the BITS 4.0 release, see the Windows Management Framework (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=181979).

To support BranchCache with Configuration Manager, add the BranchCache feature to the Windows Server 2008 R2 site system server that is configured as a standard distribution point. In Configuration Manager, the distribution point must be configured with the Allow clients to transfer content from this distribution point using BITS, HTTP, and HTTPS option. To use BranchCache with software distribution and task sequences, advertisements must be configured by using the Download content from distribution point and run locally option. To use BranchCache with software updates, the software update deployment must be configured by using the Download software updates from distribution point and install option. Additionally, the clients that are capable of supporting BranchCache must be configured for BranchCache distributed mode and the operating system setting for BITS client settings must be enabled to support BranchCache.

DirectAccess Feature Support

The DirectAccess feature in Windows Server 2008 R2 is supported for Configuration Manager 2007 SP2 sites with the full intranet access model only. When all the requirements for DirectAccess are met, this feature allows native mode and mixed mode Configuration Manager clients on the Internet to communicate with their assigned site just as if they are on the intranet.

The following scenarios are not supported by Configuration Manager: Upgrading the operating system on the site server from Windows Server 2003 to any version of Windows Server 2008, or from Windows Server 2008 to Windows Server 2008 R2. Instead, perform one of the following procedures after you have installed the new operating system:

Install Configuration Manager 2007 SP2 and configure the site according to your requirements.

Install Configuration Manager 2007 SP2 and perform a site restore by using the Site Repair Wizard. This scenario requires that you have a site backup that was created by using the Backup ConfigMgr Site Server maintenance task on the original Configuration Manager site, and that you use the same installation settings for the new Configuration Manager 2007 SP2 site.

Upgrading SQL Server on the site database server

Configuration Manager 2007 supports an in-place upgrade of the instance of SQL Server that hosts the Configuration Manager 2007 SP2 site. The following upgrade paths are supported:

The Windows AIK (version 1.0 for Configuration Manager 2007 or version 1.1 for Configuration Manager 2007 SP1) must be uninstalled from the SMS Provider computer and the computer must be restarted before beginning the upgrade process. When the site is upgraded to SP2, the Windows AIK 2.0 will be installed on the SMS Provider computer.

Note

The default boot images Boot image (x86) and Boot image (x64) under the Boot Images node will be replaced with new boot images based on Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE) 3.0 from the Windows AIK 2.0. When the default boot images have been customized and use the default names, the customizations will be lost as part of the upgrade process. Device driver additions from the Configuration Manager Drivers node will be maintained in the new boot images. We recommend that existing boot images are backed up before upgrading to Configuration Manager 2007 SP2.

Windows AIK 2.0 supports deployment of the following operating systems:

Windows Vista with SP1

Windows 7

Windows Server 2008

Windows Server 2008 R2

Operating systems that do not require Windows AIK, including Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003, can be deployed by using Configuration Manager 2007 SP2.

Important

Operating System Deployment in Configuration Manager 2007 SP2 only supports capturing or applying Windows Vista operating system images for Windows Vista with SP1 because Windows AIK 2.0 does not support Windows Vista without a service pack.